Kasumi's Bedtime Story
by Shannon Dee
Summary: Not everyone at the Tendo's home are whom they seem to be. Akane gets a wish. Ranma, Oh My Goddess, and Sailor Moon. Ranma, paired with Akane, Setsuna. Kasumi is not Belldandy. Kasumi, Nabiki, Ranma, and ? Gods.
1. Kasumi's Bedtime Story Prologue

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Note from the author

I originally wrote this story, as a one shot, short story. Starting with the prologue. Then it kept growing. I posted it believing that I was done with it. Now I find that I am working on an addition to the middle of the story, along with a couple of side stories, and hopefully an epilogue. I will be working on this story as I have time, since I am also working on several others, including one that I need to beat into submission, since it now trying to take on the size of a large novel.

If anyone has any comments, or idea, please feel free to let me know them. Many of my ideas come from my own strange life, and from my family. But, I always welcome constructive feedback.

Shannon Dee 11-13-2009

Standard disclaimer here. I don't own the characters in this story, and I only wrote it for fun, for myself, and others to enjoy without any desires for compensation.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Prologue

Walking along the beach with her sister Akane, Kasumi stops to sit on some rocks, where she can watch Ranma, and Nabiki playing in the surf. "Little sister, this is wonderful, though I am surprised that Auntie Saotome would suggest that our families spend the day at the beach. I know how she hates for Ranma to be in his girl form, and here, he has to be female, and wear a bikini."

Akane, her battle aura glowing, is pacing in front of Kasumi, who is watching the sand her little sister is walking on begin to melt, turning to glass, as Akane begins to rant. "Yeah, wonderful, for them. You get stuck babysitting me, making sure that I don't get too near the water, while that jerk, and Nabiki get to have all the fun."

Climbing to a higher rock to get away from the heat of the molten glass, Kasumi tries to calm her little sister. "Akane, Dr. Tofu has told you that it is not your fault, that you can't swim. That it is because of your muscle weight compared to your size, that you have negative buoyancy."

Paying no heed to her glass footprints in the sand, Akane stops her pacing to pickup a very ornate bottle that is stuck between the rocks, and then flops down next to Kasumi. "It's that jerk's fault. He is faster, stronger, and a better martial artist than me. He can even, swim, sing, sew, and cook better than me." As her ki enforced hands unconsciously begin to rub the grime off the bottle, Akane starts to cry. "Oh Kasumi, I love that jerk so much. I just wish that I was the perfect mate for him, so that we could be together forever."

Suddenly the bottle in Akane's hands begins to glow, and black, smoke pours out of the top, condensing into a small man wearing a hakama, eh begins running around, waving his hands. "Owowowow, hot hot hot." After dancing around a bit, he walks over to the two stunned females. "Okay, looking at you two beauties, sitting there making faces like dead fishes, and from the threads that I am wearing, I can assume this is Japan. Nice, I haven't been here in a millennium. Anyway I'm Genie, and I am here to grant your wish. Just as soon as you throw my bottle back into the sea, that is."

Kasumi blinks blinks, then as per Kasumi rules #1 says. "Oh my." Then route to Kasumi rules #2; Tea; No tea available, route to Kasumi rule #3 Conversation. " You mean so that others can find your bottle?"

Genie floats up to Kasumi's face. "No you ditz, that black smoke is my furniture on fire. Your sister, set my house on fire!"

Akane snaps out of it then, and flings the still smoking bottle out into the surf where it starts skipping until it hits a ocean liner about a mile out, that begins to list as it takes on water.

Genie smacks himself in the face, as he moans. "Way to go Godzilla! Now instead of just needing new furniture, I need a new home. Well, you still get your wish, you will now be the perfect mate for Ranma." He snaps his fingers, and vanishes, as Akane is engulfed in a cloud of purple smoke.

As the smoke clears, Akane sees Kasumi doing her dead fish imitation again. Then in a rich baritone voice, Akane says."What?... My voice! Oh my, I'm a guy! No, I am a bisexual guy, which means male Ranma is GAY!"

Throwing sweat soaked linens aside, Akane jumps out of bed, quickly turning on the lights, and checks the mirror. "I'm still a girl! It was just a dream. Kami, thank you, it was just a dream."

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Continue Chapter 1


	2. The Wish

Standard disclaimer here. I don't own the characters in this story, and I only wrote it for fun, for myself, and others to enjoy without any desires for compensation.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Chapter 1 The Wish

Throwing sweat soaked linens aside, Akane jumps out of bed, quickly turning on the lights, and checks the mirror. "I'm still a girl! It was just a dream. Kami, thank you, it was just a dream."

Downstairs in the kitchen, drinking tea with Kasumi, Ranma looks up at the ceiling which is beneath Akane's bedroom. "I wonder what that uncute tomboy is yelling about now?"

Kasumi gives Ranma her patented you know better look, and says. "Big brother, be nice. If you would just do that, you might find that you actually like her, and spending how ever many decades she has, here with her wouldn't bad."

Setting his tea cup down, Ranma leans in close, almost touching Kasumi's face with his own. In a low voice, he growls. "Little sister, I am finding that I do care about Akane. That I might be in love with her, and that's the problem. I do not even want to like her, let alone love her. I don't want to feel the pain of caring for a mortal when she dies. More than that, I miss my wife, that I haven't been allowed to see since I came to Nerima."

With Ranma's face two inches from her own, Kasumi reaches up, and pinches her nose, while crossing her eyes. "Kami Ranma, eat a mint, you smell like Urd after she drank Dionysus under the table!"

Falling back on his butt, Ranma manages not to yell by clenching his teeth. "Kasumi, I am trying to be serious here. Setsuna told me that I can't see her until I am done with my part of Tendo Kimiko's wish. She also told me to not play up to Akane, that I need to follow my heart, or things won't work out the way they are supposed to!"

"Well little brother, your wife is the goddess of time, and guardian of the gates of time. She probably has a very good reason for what she told you." Nabiki says, as she enters the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee pot. "Personally I think if you were to hang around Setsuna, you would interfere with her precious Sailor Senshi. Can't have a super powered god of martial arts upstaging her girls." She pauses to drink some of her coffee. "As for why your wife wants you to not be nice to Akane. It is either she is jealous, which we all know Setsuna isn't. Or more likely, to make Akane grow up, which is more than Kasumi, or I have been able to do in the ten years before you joined us here."

"I still think Ranma should just marry Akane, and give her a good OWIE!" Kasumi says, rubbing her head.

Nabiki puts her debugging hammer back in hammer space, as she frowns at her sister. "Little sister, please tell me that you have more in your head than the mists your name implies. Ranma had enough groupies in Asgard before Setsuna came into his life. He doesn't need, nor want a mortal one here on Midgard. Besides, Kimiko's wish was only for us to raise her, not keep her happy her whole life. I was the one that granted her deathbed wish. She said 'I know my husband is worthless as a father. I wish you Kami would raise my daughter into a healthy, and happy woman.' Father, decided that it would take the three of us to do this. You Kasumi, to tend to Akane's needs, Ranma to protect her, and me to provide for all of us. Nothing in that wish, or Father's plans said anything about Ranma marrying a mortal."

Kasumi pouts. "But love is so wonderful. Akane would be really happy, if she was married to Ranma."

Nabiki, and Ranma just roll their eyes, and both think the same thing. _'Yes, Kasumi has pure mist in her head.'_

At the same time, in the place that exists outside of time, the time gates, Setsuna is watching the Tendo-ke with an extreme interest. _'Yes, everything is working out as it did before. I need to go tell my roommates, that I won't be at the meeting this evening. I will be in Nerima instead.'_

Back in the Tendo-ke, Ranma gives both of his sisters a quick kiss on their cheeks, and gets up. "Well, the tomboy will be down any minute, and I don't want to fight with her, or my two favorite sisters, so I am going to go find P-chan. I caught that little demon trying to sneak into Akane's room again last night. So since I need to pound on something, he will do for now."

As Ranma runs out the door, Akane comes downstairs. "Where's that pervert running off to, I was going to fix him breakfast?"

_'Must be like Kasumi, have happy thoughts, must not think about Akane's cooking.' _Thinks Nabiki, as she formulates plans for an escape if needed. "Ranma said something about finding Ryouga. I think he wanted to spar with him."

_'That pervert is just trying to avoid my cooking. I'm a good cook!'_ Akane thinks, as she turns red. "Well, that pervert better not be picking on Ryouga again." She grabs the cordless phone, turning toward the washroom. "Kasumi, I am taking the phone with me into the furo. I want to call a friend, while I am soaking." Without waiting for a reply she closes the door.

In the kitchen, Kasumi gets up to make breakfast, she leans over and whispers to Nabiki. "That was nice of Ranma to say we are his favorite sisters."

Nabiki looks at her little sister, blinks, and blinks again. "Kasumi, we are Ranma's only sisters. Remember, Mom only had the three of us, me, then Ranma, and then you."

After slipping into the furo, Akane picks up the phone, and dials. _'I need to tell Sayuri about that dream I had last night.'_

She hears the phone ring once, then. "Goddess Relief Agency, one moment, I will be right there to interview you." And the phone goes dead.

A moment later Akane hears a tapping, and a voice. "Hello, may I come in?"

Akane looks at the door. "Come in Kasumi, the door is unlocked."

"I'm not at the door, and I am not Kasumi, though I do get that a lot for some reason. Look at the mirror."

Akane looks over at the mirror, and sees a beautiful gaijin woman, with three tattoos on her face, golden brown hair, and blue eyes. The woman sticks her head out of the mirror. "May I come in Akane?"

Akane slowly nods, as she sinks lower into the water. "Yo..your a Kami!"

The woman smiles as she floats out of the mirror, settling near the furo. "I am Belldandy, Goddess of the Present, 1st Class, 1st Category, Unlimited. I am with the Goddess Relief Agency, and I am here to grant you a wish Tendo Akane. One wish, anything your heart desires, except for more wishes, or for me to stay with you, I already have a husband who made that wish when he was a mortal."

Akane realizes she is making a face like a dead fish, closes her mouth. "One wish, anything that I desire?" To which the goddess nods, with a big smile.

_'Wow, this is just like my dream. I know what I want to wish for, but, what if Ranma is gay?'_ Akane contemplates.

Belldandy grins really big, putting her hand up quickly to cover her grin. "No silly, Ranma is defiantly not gay."

Akane sinks lower into the furo, as she blushes. "How did you know what I was thinking, and how do you know if Ranma is gay, or not?"

Belldandy still smiling gently, explains. "I am allowed to read your mind for the duration of this interview, to better help you. As for knowing if Ranma is gay, or not. I'm a goddess silly." Belldandy then blushes, as she thinks. _'And all goddesses know that Ranma is not gay.'_

Feeling her doubts resolve, and forgetting that she is naked in front of a goddess, Akane sits up straight in the furo. "Then I know what I want my wish to be. I just wish that I was the perfect mate for Ranma, so that we could be together forever."

Belldandy's head snaps backwards, a beam of light comes from the mark on her forehead, hitting the ceiling, and if anyone that could see divine light was standing outside, they would see that the beam continued straight as a laser to the heavens. At the same time everything loose in the wash room, including most of the water in the furo, flies into the air, spinning around the room. When the light ceases, the room once again becomes still, and Belldandy looks at Akane, and smiles. "Wish Granted."

In the kitchen, Nabiki jumps up, pulling Kasumi with her, she races toward the washroom. "Did you feel that? Someone just got a wish granted, and the only mortal here is Akane!"

Nabiki, and Kasumi burst into the washroom to see Akane floating in the air, surrounded by light, within light. She slowly spins, changing. Her body lengthens, going from her previous stocky 5'4" to a lithe 5'8". Her short blue hair begins to grow, until it reaches below her knees, and changes to green. Her pale white skin darkens to a olive complexion. A flowing black gown, forms around her, as she settles to stand. When she opens her eyes, they are no longer brown, now they are dark red. She has three blue triangular marks on her face. One to the lower corner of each eye, and one on her forehead.

Nabiki sees Belldandy standing in shock, and that Kasumi is about to say something. She quickly slaps her hand over her younger sisters mouth. Then yells. "Bell, do not say her name! Kasumi, I know what you were about to say, and I need you to not say a thing. If you do, you might spoil everything. Do you understand? If you say a word, I will have you hauling lost souls to Hild for a hundred years!" Seeing the look of fear, and finally, understanding on Kasumi's face, she lets go of her mouth, and turns to Belldandy. "Bell, go get Urd, and meet us in Fathers office. I am sure he is expecting us. And Bell, not a word to anyone, especially Ranma, understand?"

Belldandy nods, then steps into the mirror, only to sticks her head back out. "Nabiki, I will do what you ask, but don't presume that you can order me about, as you do your little sister Kasumi. I am a 1, 1, unlimited, the same as you are."

Nabiki gets the look of a shark, sensing blood in the water. "Yes Bell, we are both 1,1s, Unlimited. But the last I looked Keiichi still works for me." Seeing Belldandy gulp, Nabiki lets her off the hook, laughing. "Bell-chan, you know I love you, your sisters, and your husband. I would never do anything to them. But, I am worried about making this wish work out. It is a wish within a wish to an unqualified mortal. Which means the Ultimate Force granted Akane's wish, to fulfill Tendo Kimiko's wish, which I am in charge of. I am sure that you recognize Akane?" She sees Belldandy nod. "Good, then you know where she has to go, and that everything is really delicate right now, until she gets there. Now do you understand why I am issuing orders?"

Belldandy eyes get real big. "Oh My! I will get Urd, and meet you in Father's office right away. Love you Nabs." With that, she vanishes into the mirror.

Nabiki quickly turns to Kasumi again. "Little sister, just nod, don't way a word. Do you understand now?" Seeing Kasumi nod violently, Nabiki smiles, and gives her a quick hug. "Thank you little sister, I wouldn't want to see you run afoul of the Ultimate Force."

Akane finally finds her voice, and grabs Nabiki. "Nabiki, what is going on here? What has happened to me? How are you ordering a goddess around, who, or what is Urd? When did you, and Kasumi get tattoos on your faces. Daddy doesn't have an office, and why are you calling Kasumi little sister, she is the oldest?

Nabiki reaches up, and gently pulls Akane's hands off of her shoulders. Then she puts her hands on Akane's shoulders. "Okay, I will answer all of your questions, that I feel I am allowed to. But, first, I want you to close your eyes, and I am going to turn you toward the mirror. When I tell you to, I want you to open your eyes, and take a good look at yourself. Then I want you to sit on that stool before you faint, and I will explain things to you." She turns Akane to the mirror. "Okay, open your eyes."

Akane opens her eyes to see a stranger's face staring back at her. She reaches out, and touches the mirror, tapping it, making sure that another goddess is not standing there making fun of her. "I have red eyes, green hair, my skin looks like it has a dark tan, and I have tattoos on my face! I don't look Japanese at all anymore, but I think I look beautiful. Will Ranma like me looking like this?

_'Well, that went better than I thought it would. She's more worried about Ranma, then what has happened to herself.' _ Thinks Nabiki, as she chuckles, and answers. "Trust me, Ranma will love your new looks. Now sit down, and I will tell you what I can."

As soon as Akane is sitting, Nabiki sits down on the other stool, to look her in the eyes. "The first things is, I assume you wished to be a match for Ranma, correct?" She watches Akane blush, and nod her head. "Good, you did right. You see Ranma is not a mortal. He is the God of Martial Arts. So to be a match for him, you are now a goddess."

Akane feels like she is spinning again, even though she is sitting down. "Ranma is a god, and I'm a goddess!"

"That's right, Ranma is a god, and you are now a goddess, immortal, fantastic powers, the works. Though right now, you are only a 3rd Class goddess in training, with not very much power. Until you get trained, and also conquer your anger. You see Kami-sama isn't going to let you have enough power to destroy a planet, if you don't learn to control yourself." She sees Akane swallow hard, then nods her understanding. "Good, and I know you can do it. Which brings me to how I know, and how I am ordering a goddess around. Akane, this will be hard for you to understand, but Kasumi, and I are not your sisters."

"Nani?" Akane looks at Nabiki like she has grown a second head. "Of course your my sisters. I have grown up with you."

"No Akane. Though I love you like a sister, Kasumi, and I have only been here since your mother passed away. Kami-sama rewrote some memories, so that people would believe that we were your sisters. Your mother Tendo Kimiko made a wish when she was dieing that we Kami would raise her only child. I was the goddess that granted your mother her wish. Normally it is up to the goddess that grants the wish to fulfill it. This time Father decided that my brother Ranma, my baby sister Kasumi, and I along with our mother Nodoka, would be the ones to fulfill it. Kasumi is the Goddess of the Home, 2nd Class, 1st Category, Limited, Ranma is the God of Martial Arts, 1st Class, 1st Category, Unlimited, Nodoka is the Goddess of Swords, 2nd Class, 2nd Category, Limited, and I am Nabiki, Goddess of Information, 1st Class, 1st Category, Unlimited."

Feeling her world fall apart, Akane looks to the one person that has always been her safe haven. "Kasumi, is this true, are you both goddesses, you're her baby sister, and Ranma is your brother?"

Kasumi starts crying, and rushes to Akane, hugging her, as she nods her head rapidly, wishing she could talk to Akane, but knows her big sister needs her to be quiet.

Feeling Kasumi's distress, Akane turns to Nabiki. "Nabiki, can't you let her talk?"

Nabiki doesn't like it either. Her baby sister Kasumi is not the brightest, but she has more love in her heart than a dozen goddesses. "I'm sorry little sister Kasumi, bear with me. Akane I'm sorry, but I can't let her talk until I am sure that it is safe. First I need to ask something of you. For all this to work, you need a new name to go with the new you. Do you have an idea what you wish to be called?"

Akane stares a Nabiki for a moment, then answers. "I have always like the name Setsuna. It is kind of mysterious, and I think it goes with my new looks. Yes, if it's okay, I would like to be called Setsuna."

Nabiki breathes a sigh of relief, and hugs both Setsuna, and Kasumi. "Kasumi, you can breath again. I'm sorry Akane, or I should say Setsuna, since that is your name now. This will all make sense after I can explain everything, but I had to make sure that no one but yourself gave you that name. Now I can tell you the rest, and what is at risk, not just for you, but for Kasumi, I, and others. You see we already know you as Setsuna, and we have known you for over twelve thousand years. Most of that time as our sister-in-law, married to Ranma."

"Nani!" Akane yells, as she falls off the back of the stool.

Laughing, Nabiki gives her a hand back up onto the stool, while trying to not fall off of her own stool. "Careful there Setsuna. It doesn't look good for goddesses to be clumsy. Now to answer how you, Setsuna can be our sister-in-law. I will need to tell you what is going to happen first. Belldandy, that you just met, is the Goddess of the Present, she has two sisters, Urd the Goddess of the Past, and Skuld the Goddess of the Future. Because of your wish, they just got themselves a new sister, that joins them in the past. Her name is Setsuna, Goddess of Time, Guardian of the Gates of Time. That's you Setsuna. Your new life actually starts a little over twelve thousands years ago."

Setsuna's face moves through confusion to fear. She begins to tremble as she asks. "I am going to go to the past twelve thousand years to start my new life, complete with three new sisters. What about Ranma?"

Nabiki quickly hugs the new goddess, and tells her. "Don't worry about Ranma, that is when the new you, Setsuna, and Ranma meet for the first time." Feeling the new goddess begin to calm down, Nabiki sits back on her stool, and explains. "So, what is going to happen, is your big sister Urd, is going to take you back in time, roughly about twelve thousand years, where you will be trained by the Skuld in that time period. After you complete your training, and earn your 1st Class, Unlimited License, and because of your duties, you will be taken to Ranma for martial arts training. While being trained by Ranma, you two fell in love. Now here is the tricky part, and where everything can be ruined. The future is not set in stone. Just because you are married to him now, doesn't mean you will marry him. You can screw that up, and change our time line. You will understand that perfectly after your training with Skuld, since you are the Goddess of Time. Also in the past, it is vitally important, that only Skuld knows that you were Akane. Otherwise you could destroy your wish in your future if Ranma, or I in our past knew. This is the same reason why you have undergone such a radical change in appearance. None of us involved with your mother's or your wish knew that our Setsuna was Akane. Do you understand?"

Setsuna puts her hand on the wall next to her. "No, the room isn't spinning, just my head. So you are telling me, that right now, somewhere else, I am sitting twelve thousand years older, and have been married to Ranma most of that time. But, if I screw up in the past, I will still be Setsuna, Goddess of Time, just not married to Ranma, or if anyone other than Skuld in the past knows that I used to be Akane in this time, I may not even be Setsuna?"

"See Kasumi, that's why her big sister Skuld loves her. She got that concept in one try. That's right Setsuna, and you will have a better understanding than anyone if, and when you complete your training under your big sister Skuld. I say if, because you can screw that up too, if you go in thinking it is a sure thing." Nabiki starts laughing again.

Setsuna not getting the joke, stares at Nabiki with her mouth open, then asks. "What's so funny?"

When Nabiki finally composes herself, she wipes her eyes, and grins at Setsuna. "I was just remembering Skuld telling us how she had to help her little sister Setsuna conquer her anger. Skuld is older than time, usually looks like a teenager, and carries a mallet, that she said she had to use too many times on her baby sister Set-chan." Akane winces as she remembers hitting Ranma with her own mallet.

Nabiki stands up, pulling Setsuna to her feet. "Come on, let's get you to Father's office, so you can go where you need to be, and then I expect you to be here tonight for dinner, to tell us the things you had to keep secret from us for twelve millennium. That, and Ranma has been missing you like crazy."

Setsuna grabs at the wall again. "Oh My,..... Father's office. You mean Kami-sama don't you?"

Putting her arm around Setsuna, Nabiki pulls her into the mirror. "You will love him. Just think of a great parent, and best friend rolled into one."

As Nabiki, and Setsuna vanish into the mirror, Kasumi does the same in the puddle of water that remained in the furo after the earlier light show.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Continue Chapter 2 Home Again


	3. Home Again

Standard disclaimer here. I don't own the characters in this story, and I only wrote it for fun, for myself, and others to enjoy without any desires for compensation.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Chapter 2 Home Again

Putting her arm around Setsuna, Nabiki pulls her into the mirror. "You will love him. Just think of a great parent, and best friend rolled into one."

As Nabiki, and Setsuna vanish into the mirror, Kasumi does the same in the puddle of water that remained in the furo after the earlier light show.

Moments later, there is a wavering effect in the air, like heat waves. A beautiful, green haired goddess, with red eyes steps out of the effect, and into the room. She closes her eyes, then her body, and clothes change to the mortal form she hasn't worn in eons, Akane Tendo. With a small smile, she begins to pick up the clothes, and towels. _'I better pick these up before Kasumi gets back. It has only taken me twelve thousand years to clean up my mess in here. There, now for a little TV until the fun starts tonight.'_

Later, after Kasumi, and Nabiki return home, via Nabiki's mirror in her room, they come downstairs, heading for the kitchen. As they pass through the living room, Akane waves at them from the couch without taking her eyes off of the TV. "Hi Nabs, hi Kasumi."

Without stopping, Kasumi waves back. "Hi Akane." Then both she, and Nabiki freeze, and turn to the girl on the couch.

Akane grins at the dead fish look on both of the girls. "Nani? Do I have something on my face? Kasumi, I picked up my mess in the washroom, sorry it took me twelve thousand years to get around to it."

Before Akane can blink, the two girls have jumped onto the couch, on either side of her, and Kasumi quietly asks. "Setsuna?"

Akane gives Kasumi a lopsided Ranma grin. "Did you expect Sailor Pluto? It's me your big sister-in-law."

Nabiki gives her a puzzled look, and asks. "I would have expected your Sailor Pluto form. The wishes have been filled, so why are you Akane?"

Akane gives Nabiki an evil grin. "Because you told me to be here for dinner, and this will be more of a surprise for Ranma, and those two simpletons. Just play along. I expect uninvited dinner guests this evening, who will help me surprise my husband."

"Your Sailor Pluto? Can I have your autograph" Kasumi says staring with puppy eyes at Akane. When she sees the incredulous looks on the two girl faces she starts laughing. "I finally got you. ah...Sisters, why are you looking at me that way?" Before she can make a run for it, Kasumi finds herself the target of a tickle fest.

"Tadaima." Ranma announces as he walks in the front door, then sees the tickle fest going on. _'It has been years since I have been able to do that with my sisters. I wish I could join them, but Akane would __just think I was being a pervert, and start pounding me.'_

As if just thinking of Akane pounding him was all it took, Akane suddenly jumps up, and glares at him. "Ranma no baka! Nabiki told me that you went out looking for Ryouga. If you have been picking on him again." At which point her trusty Ranma basher, Mallet-sama appears in her hands.

Making warding gestures, Ranma quickly backpedals through the room toward the stairs, and hopefully safety. "Hey Akane...no..I...wasn't picking on P-...I mean Ryouga today. Nope, never even saw him today." As Akane's hammer vanishes to whatever strange place it comes from, Ranma wipes the sweat from his brow, and rushes up the stairs to the relative safety of his room, to wait for dinner.

Once Ranma is in his room, Nabiki turns to Akane. "Let me guess. For Kasumi, and me, it was just this morning since you did that to him last. But for you it has been twelve thousand years, and you just had to see if you could still do it?"

Akane grins at Nabiki, and winks. "As Skuld used to tell me. Sis, you got it in one try." She then takes Kasumi's hand and starts walking toward the kitchen. "Come on Kasumi-chan, I will help you make dinner."

Hearing Akane say that she is going to help make dinner, Nabiki turns green, and begins contemplating escape possibilities, while her stomach makes strange noises in distress considering what it may have to put up with for dinner.

Akane sees Nabiki's color change, and while giggling smacks her on the back of the head. "Nabs relax, breathe. Remember, I am not the Akane of this morning, I grew up a long long time ago. I am Setsuna, and my big sister Belldandy taught me how to cook. Later I taught our baby sister Kasumi, when Ranma, and I helped raise her."

Smacking herself on the forehead, Nabiki says. "I'm sorry sis. It is hard to think of my sister-in-law Setsuna, that I have known for over twelve thousand years, and the mortal Akane that I have helped to raise for fourteen years, as being the same person. Though, I should have known before it happened this morning. I remember the bedtime story you used to tell Kasumi when you were tucking her in at night. The story of the mortal girl, that loved a god. How she was granted a wish, and became a goddess, and went back in time, to grow up with her new Kami family. So that she could marry her boyfriend that was a god, and be there to tuck in a little goddess named Kasumi. That story was why I slapped my hand over Kasumi's mouth earlier. She still loves that story, and I knew she put all the pieces together as soon as she saw your hair, and eyes. I was afraid she would have named you, since your name had to come from someone that didn't know Setsuna."

Akane sees the puzzled, and fearful look on Kasumi's face, and gives her a gentle hug. "It's okay Kasumi-chan. You can repeat the story to me now, anytime, and nothing will be harmed. What Nabiki is saying, is that if you had said my name Setsuna before I did, it might had created a paradox, if I wasn't really supposed to be Setsuna. There would had been two Setsunas. The real one that Ranma was supposed to marry, and the Akane/Setsuna that wanted to marry Ranma. Don't worry about it too much little sister. I am, and was always supposed to be, the one, and only, real Setsuna. Now lets go make dinner, before my victims, I mean uninvited dinner guests arrives. Besides, I have one more thing I want to do, for old time sakes as soon as dinner is ready."

Two hours later, a very dripping wet Ranma-chan sloshes down the stairs following Akane. The latter keeps her face turned away from Ranma-chan, to hide the grin on her face. "Quit complaining Ranma. I told you several times that dinner was ready. Now go dry off, and get to the table. Oh, by the way, the hot water is broken again, so I guess you will just have to stay that way. Pervert!" Akane then runs to the dinning room, pretending that she is ignoring Ranma-chan's grumblings.

"Uncute tomboy. She didn't have to throw the whole bucket on me. How did she get so much water into one small bucket?" She continues to mumble as she closes the door to the washroom, to dry off, and change clothes.

Nabiki who was watching the exchange, asks Akane. "How did you get her so wet with one bucket?"

Showing a really evil grin, that would had made her Auntie Hild proud, Akane explains. "Since it is the last time that me as Akane gets to do that to Ranma, I had to make sure to do it big. I made a subspace pocket in the bucket. So, instead of the bucket holding four liters of water, it held a hundred liters, yet never weighed more than an empty bucket."

Picking herself off the floor, Nabiki shakes her head to clear her vision. Facefaulting from the standing position hurts. She then follows Akane to the table, and sits down, looking over at the supposed fathers, Tendo Soun, and Saotome Genma, as the blundering duo cook up another of their plans to marry Ranma to Akane. Usually their plans call for trying to knock Ranma out, and get him married before he wakes. She sighs, as she shakes her head slowly, and thinks._ 'Father says, that when we leave tonight, it should be a wake up call to these two. I hope so, even if they weren't part of the wish. Freewill sucks when mortals use their gift to crawl into a bottle, and hide from life.'_

Later, as Kasumi brings out dinner. "Kasumi, this is quite the feast you have here. What is it, and what is the occasion?" Soun asks, as he, and Genma wipe the drool from their mouths.

"Thank you daddy. It is Norwegian Gravlaks, a salmon dish. And the occasion is that I am celebrating a birthday for someone very dear to me." Kasumi answers, while she avoids looking toward Akane, and Ranma-chan.

_'Kasumi remembered, that today is Setsuna's birthday, and missing her on her birthday is why I have been so upset today.' _Ranma-chan thinks, then looks up at Kasumi, with a weak smile, and a tear running down her cheeks. "Thank you Kasumi, I am sure she appreciates it, where ever she is."

"SHE?" Akane yells, turning red, Mallet-sama appearing in her hands. "RAANNMMAA, is this another one of your hussies?"

"SETSUNA IS NOT A HUSSY!" Ranma-chan yells back, then her brain catches up to her mouth. _'Oh my, what have I said? How does Akane always push my buttons so easily. Think Ranma, I need to dig my way out of this, without telling a lie.' _With her brain now engaged, Ranma-chan goes on to explain. "As Kasumi has said, she is someone very dear to her, and I know she has always treated Kasumi like a little sister. Kasumi has told me many times about her 'big sister' Setsuna."

"Oh, alright then." Akane says, dispelling Mallet-sama, she turns back to Kasumi, while ignoring Ranma-chan's facefault onto the table. "This Setsuna sounds like a wonderful person Kasumi."

While dishing some food onto her own plate, Nabiki comments. "Oh, I heard that she is a wonderful person, but that she can have a really warped sense of humor at times."

Not even wondering how his daughter that is not allowed to have a life outside of the home, can have such a friend, Tendo Soun tells Kasumi. "Daughter, I would like to meet this wonderful friend of yours. You say her name is Setsuna? What is her family name?"

Before Kasumi can answer, a loud crash is heard in the back yard, then a very familiar voice. "Ranma Saotome prepare to die!"

_'Great, now he shows up!'_ Thinks Ranma-chan. Putting down her chopsticks, she growls. "RYOUGA!"

Before Ranma-chan can get up from the table, she feels Akane gently place a hand on her shoulder. In a defiantly non-Akane manner, Akane calmly says. "Ranma, I don't want you to pick on Ryouga. Let me deal with him this time." Shocked by this change in Akane, Ranma-chan can only nod, and stare.

Excusing herself from the table, Akane walks over to the open doors to the yard, and looks at the perpetual lost boy. "Ryouga Hibiki, we were trying to enjoy our dinner in here, before you felt the need to destroy part of our property. Now normally, Ranma, and you fight, then I tell Ranma not to pick on you, and Nabiki makes you pay for the damages. This evening, I want to deal with this myself. So all I am going to say to you about this incident is two words;........ Dead Scream."

The resulting energy blast, combined with Ryouga's body, digs a furrow from a few feet were Akane stands, through the back porch, the yard, the wall around the yard, the street, the neighbor's walls, the next street, and three quarters of the way through a parked car. Oddly, the koi pond which always seems to suffer from any fights in the yard, is spared this time, until a few moments later, when the Sakura tree near it, falls over, to crash into the pond.

Nabiki, pretending to ignore what is happening, looks up at Ranma-chan. "Ranma this Gravlaks is really good...Ranma...hello Ranma?" Ranma-chan is staring unblinking, with her mouth open. Nabiki giggles, and waves a hand in Ranma-chan's face. "Ranma, it's okay, she didn't yell, she said it softly. Besides Ryouga is only a pig demon, not even part of the doublet system.....hello..Hey Akane, I think you broke her."

Giggling Akane walks over behind Ranma-chan. "That's okay Nabs, I know how to fix her. Ranma lover, Urd is looking for you."

Ranma-chan jumps up, and grabs Akane. "Setsuna! Kasumi's bedtime story? When?"

Akane wraps her arms around the smaller girl, pulling her tight. "Yes lover, it's me, and yes, Kasumi's bedtime story is real, it's my story. As for when, today. As of today, I am 12,328 years old, but today is the day of my birth. This morning I was Tendo Akane, and a half hour after you left, I was Setsuna, and heading for the past, and my destiny. After the me of this morning, left for the past, the me of the present, Setsuna that has spent the last 11,713 years as your wife, came here to take care of some unfinished business, have some fun, and to fetch my husband, who I am glad doesn't think of me as a hussy. Now, that I have done with what I came to do, what do we do about these two catatonic simpletons?"

"Nothing, they will snap out of it, in about 5 minutes after we all leave." Nabiki says, while she waves her hand in front of Soun, and Genma. " Except for those with obsessions, the memories of everyone that has ever dealt with us, are getting fuzzy, and even the obsessive ones memories will fade given enough time. All pictures of us, including all the ones that the Kunos bought are vanishing, and all of our personal items throughout the house are gone, transported to our homes in Asgard. Father has already given these two back their original memories. Genma is now remembering that his wife Ikuko committed seppuku a year after he kidnapped their son Kenji, taking him on a training trip. Also that he killed his son with the Neko-ken training at the same time that Ikuko died. Until Ranma found him, and brought him here from Jusenkyo four years ago, Genma had been wandering aimlessly, too ashamed to go home. Soun here is having an easier time. He is still in the same place he has been since his wife died, mourning her. Later, he will remember that his only child Akane left this morning, to be with her boyfriend, tired of her father neglecting her. He also no longer remembers that we have ever existed, and he attributes all the work that Kasumi, and I have done, to Akane. Without her to manage his life, he will have to decide to either do something, or sit and wait for death. At least these two will have each other to try to straighten out their lives, before they end up guests of Hild." Nabiki pauses, looking around the room, then asks. "Speaking of guests, Setsuna, I thought you had more than Ryouga planned for this evening?"

Changing back to her normal green hair, red eye form, Setsuna stretches, and putting her arms back around Ranma-chan says. "Ah, that's better. Nabiki, we did have other guests, Shampoo, and her great great grandmother Cologne were here, and they got my message. They were standing on the wall when Akane blasted Ryouga through it. From what the Time Gates showed me. After those two picked themselves up out of the rubble a block away, they ran to their restaurant, packed a few belongings, grabbed Mouuse, and are rushing back to China. They thought trying to get Ranma difficult, and a little dangerous, but he was only a male. Now, when they saw Akane do, what to them was a new attack, making her, a female much more dangerous then Ranma, and knowing Akane's temper." Setsuna pauses giving everyone an innocent look. "Well, they decided that Mouuse would be a good husband for Shampoo after all. Now Ranma, can walk the streets without having to look out for Amazons."

"Hey, I can look out for myself! I am the Goddess, and God, of Martial Arts!" Ranma-chan exclaims while still being held by Setsuna.

Setsuna just smiles at the little redhead in her arms. "You know, all this time, and you are still so darn cute when you say that in your goddess form. Change lover, I want you to hold me now, and you can screw with my Senshi roommates' minds later." She lets go of Ranma-chan, and watches the little goddess that she loves change to the god that she loves. Ranma enfolds her in his arms from behind, and as she leans back into him, she sighs. "That's better lover. Oh, how I have missed this. Anyway, I know you can take care of yourself lover. The problem is that in all the timelines where we didn't give Cologne a display of power, even the ones where we showed her that we were gods, her obsession with getting you into her tribe doesn't stop. She ends up using dark magic against you, and us. In most of those timelines, the one that rescues us, and looses her innocence, when she has to blast Cologne, and her tribe to cinders is Kasumi. I don't want my baby sister to go through that." She feels Ranma stiffen, and hold her even tighter. "Relax lover, no matter what it takes, we won't let that happen. I would have just changed time, so that they would never had met you, but Shampoo was important to get me to make that wish."

Kasumi who had been listening, sits down, hugging her knees, she begins to cry. "I don't want to blast people. But they better not mess with my family!"

Before a single tear can fall from her face, Ranma, Setsuna, and Nabiki are holding her. Ranma in a soothing voice tells Kasumi. "It's alright little sis, you won't have to blast anyone. Now what do you say we go home? I am sure Mom would like to see everyone, and I want to see my kids." Kasumi nods, and smiles, as she wipes her eyes on Ranma's shirt.

Setsuna stands up, turning to Tendo Soun. "Wait a minute everyone, and I will take us home my way. I just need to do something first." Kneeling down next to Soun, she kisses him on the cheek. "Get well daddy, I do still love you." Wiping her eyes, she stands up, turning to her family, waves her hand, causing a distortion to appear in the air. "Come on, everyone aboard the Pluto Express. I want to see our kids. Mother Nodoka has had four years to spoil them." After everyone else has stepped through the distortion, Setsuna takes one last look around. "Yes, there are still a lot of good memories here. Goodbye again old life." She quickly turns and steps through the distortion, which then vanishes. ***

*** Author Note; This was the original end of the story.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Continue Chapter 3 Senshi, Meet the Meious


	4. Senshi, Meet the Meious

Standard disclaimer here. I don't own the characters in this story, and I only wrote it for fun, for myself, and others to enjoy without any desires for compensation.

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Chapter 3 Senshi, Meet the Meious

Setsuna stands up, turning to Tendo Soun. "Wait a minute everyone, and I will take us home my way. I just need to do something first." Kneeling down next to Soun, she kisses him on the cheek. "Get well daddy, I do still love you." Wiping her eyes, she stands up, turning to her family, waves her hand, causing a distortion to appear in the air. "Come on, everyone aboard the Pluto Express. I want to see our kids. Mother Nodoka has had four years to spoil them." After everyone else has stepped through the distortion, Setsuna takes one last look around. "Yes, there are still a lot of good memories here. Goodbye again old life." She quickly turns and steps through the distortion, which then vanishes.

Several hours later, two young woman, Haruka Tenoh, aka Sailor Uranus, and Michiru Kaioh, aka Sailor Neptune, with one teenage girl, their adopted daughter, Hotaru Tomoe, aka Sailor Saturn, open the front door of their home in Juuban. The home that they share with their fellow Sailor Senshi, Sailor Pluto, aka Setsuna Meiou. It's late, so they don't announce themselves, as they kick off their shoes, and enter the house proper. A moment later, all three of them freeze, starring at the sight of Setsuna sitting on the couch, with a young man that looks to be in his mid twenties, laying on the couch, with his head on her lap. Sitting on the floor in front of them, are two teenage girls, around Hotaru's age, one with red hair, the other with green, and both have purple eyes.

Hotaru stares for a minute, then a big smile grows on her face, as she runs and jumps on the young man, proceeding to tickle him. "Ranma-poppa! Yeah, your still ticklish."

Rolling around on the couch, Ranma finally falls onto the floor, and removes Hotaru from tickling him. "Ho-chan, you had to remember that I am ticklish." Sitting up, and putting on a pout, Ranma sniffs. "Maybe I won't remember to take you flying tomorrow."

The two teenage girls who had to move out of the way of the falling Ranma, now kneel along side of him. The redhead smacks him on the back of the head. "Baka! Mother introduce us to Hotaru's other parents, and if you won't take Hotaru flying tomorrow, we will. She's our sister, and we haven't seen her in over a year!"

Haruka, and Michiru, look at each other, ignoring everything else that was said, focus on one word, and at the same time say. "Mother?"

Ranma pushes himself up into the sitting position on the floor, and at the same time changes from 5'11", black hair Ranma, who was wearing black pants, and a red polo shirt, to 5'2" redheaded Ranma-chan, who is no larger than the teenage girls she is sitting with, and is now wearing a black skirt, and red silk blouse. With a giggle she explains. "Yea, mother, and these two pains are Setsuna's and my daughters, Yuko, and Chiyoko. The redhead is Yuko, and the green haired one is Chiyoko. They are both 13 of your years old. Oh, and I am Ranma, Setsuna's husband of....." Looking up at her wife, she see Setsuna give a nod that it okay to say. "Of 11,713 years. I was just going to say a long long time dear."

Setsuna leans forward, and begins to undo her now female husbands pigtail, reforming it into a loose ponytail. "That's okay lover. It is time to tell our story to them, as long as they keep it from the others for now."

Trying to not take their eyes off the sight in front of them, Haruka, and Michiru nod as they pull each other down into a chair across from the couch. The Senshi have always known that Setsuna, was possibly several thousand years old, but. Haruka swallows, and exclaims. "11,713 years!" Ranma, and Setsuna both nod. Then Haruka asks. "If Ranma is their mother, who is the father?"

As quick as Ranma had changed, now Setsuna changes from 5'8" woman with knee length green hair, wearing a skirt, and blouse to a 6' tall, man with short green hair, wearing dockers, and a polo shirt, who smiles at them, and answers. "Why, I am of course." After enjoying the look on her roommates' faces, she kisses Ranma-chan, and says. "Change back lover. Would you believe I used to call Ranma a pervert for being able to change genders, then I found I could do it too." And just as quick as the earlier change, Ranma is now male, and Setsuna is once more female.

Michiru pushes her lover's mouth closed, and asks. "Setsuna, what is going on? How can you two be married that long? How come we didn't even know you were married? How can you two change genders like that? How come you never did it before?"

Hotaru is grinning like it's Santa Day. "Setsuna-momma, does this mean that I can finally tell your secret to them?"

Hotaru sees Setsuna nod, and she runs over to stand in front of Haruka, and Michiru. With a big smile, and a small bow, she addresses them. Haruka-poppa, Michiru-momma, you know Setsuna-momma as Sailor Pluto, the Senshi of Time, Guardian of the Time Gates. Let me introduce you to the Goddess Setsuna, Goddess of Time, Guardian of the Gates of Time, Goddess, and God 1st Class, 1st Category, Unlimited License. Her husband, the God Ranma, God of Martial Arts, God, and Goddess 1st Class, 1st Category, Unlimited License. Ranma-poppa has been on assignment for Kami-sama, with his sisters for the past four years."

Haruka looks at her adopted daughter like she has grown two balloon heads, and sneers at Ranma. "Setsuna is a goddess, and he is the god of martial arts working for Kami-sama. Yeah, right. What kind of nonsense are you telling our daughter Setsuna?"

"Ranma, don't take the bait. I prefer everyone stays friends, and family here." Setsuna says, while placing a hand gently on Ranma's shoulder. She then stands, pulling her husband to his feet with her. "Well, I can see that we are going to have to show you some credentials. Ho-chan, since this includes you daughter, stand with your sisters." She waits for Hotaru to stand with the other teens, then says. "Ranma, girls, Wings!"

Haruka faints, and her partner Michiru stares with her mouth open, and eyes as big as saucers, for before her now stand five people that are obviously kami. They are all standing, but their feet don't reach the floor. At the same time, their street clothes have changed to flowing robes, they each have a pair of pure white wings extended out from their backs, strange tattoo like marks have appeared on their foreheads, and cheeks, and their bodies glow faintly with divine power.

Setsuna smiles serenely at Michiru, and asks. "So, Michiru, how was your concert tonight?" After watching her roommate facefault, Setsuna giggles, and then says. "Alright family, we have messed with their minds enough. Change back, and Ranma, lets take a page from Kasumi's rules, and go get some tea ready for everyone. Thank you lover. Michiru, could you revive your spouse, and bring her to the table please?" Seeing Michiru slowly nod, Setsuna directs her kids to the table in the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Michiru, guides a shaky Haruka into the kitchen, and sits her at the table. Taking a seat herself, she looks at her adopted daughter. "Ho-chan, your a goddess also?"

Hotaru runs around the table to hug Michiru. "I'm sorry Michiru-momma, but I wasn't allowed to tell you. Setsuna-momma told me that I had to protect our timeline. I guess the danger is over now." She looks at Setsuna, and sees another nod, and smile.

Setsuna sets her tea cup down, reaches over to brush Hotaru's bangs out of her face, exposing the goddess mark on her daughter's forehead, and explains. "These marks are not tattoos, they are our connections with Yggdrasil in Asgard, and they identify us to each other. We normally hide our marks with the same kind of magic as our Senshi disguises. Now that you have seen them on us, you always will." Kissing Hotaru above her mark on her forehead, and then she smiles warmly as she lets the young goddess join her sisters at the other end of the table. Turning back to the young couple, Setsuna continues. "You already know that Ho-chan didn't survive Mistress Nine. You believed that she was saved at the time gates. She wasn't. There was nothing I could do for her, so I took her to Asgard. Because of her pure soul, and self sacrifice, Kami-sama ascended her, making her a goddess. Well, a goddess in training right now. That's why she has to have another god, or goddess go with her when she flies. She only has a learner permit." She sees her adopted daughter blush, and then continues. "She was put in Ranma's and my care to raise her. Now since we Kami don't have that many, if any, our children age much slower, both physically, and emotionally. Our children, which includes Hotaru, age about one year for every ten years that pass, until they reach about 13 years of mortal growth. The growth spurts that Hotaru has had, have been the times, that my sister Urd, has taken her to the past, where the Ranma, and I of the past, raised her with our own daughters. Now the Ranma, and I of a 130 years ago, did not know who Hotaru was. Only that she was an infant that Kami-sama told us to raise as our own daughter, and that I was not allowed to use the gates to see who she was. Ho-chan was with us 80 years when Kami-sama sent Urd to take her for a few days. Then we had her another 50 years, until I caught up with the present when I brought the dieing Sailor Saturn to Asgard, and then knew who our daughter was. Kami-sama told me to wait until Urd took Ho-chan to the past the second time, and then to bring our daughter of now, the present here."

Haruka, and Michiru stare at their daughter, and the twins next to her. Images of Hotaru after Mistress Nine, an infant in diapers for a couple of days, then all of a sudden she was eight years old. She was eight for only a few days, then she changed into the thirteen year old that she appears today. But, that has been over a year ago, and she still looks the same. Michiru finally voices their questions. "How old is my daughter really, and are we going to wake up to find a mature woman in her place?"

Pulling the three teens together in front of her, so they are all facing Michiru, where the other woman can see that the three teens are just that, teenagers. Setsuna then answers. "Ho-chan, as well as our twins, are over 130 years old chronologically. But, they are only 13 years old emotionally, and in physical development. Kami-sama said there will be no more trips for her to the past, so she will age her normal immortal rate from now on. Girls go play, parents need some privacy. Ho-chan, the twins have brought some of theirs, and your stuff from Asgard with them, including some holocrystals of your favorite shows."

Watching the three young goddesses run out of the kitchen, like any other teenagers, Michiru picks up her tea, and takes a long sip. Setting her cup down she asks. "So, every time Ho-chan had a growth spurt, you had sent her to the past, where she would live for years being raised by you, without any consideration of Haruka, or my feelings. Then you would return her to the exact time she left here. You are gods, and you didn't care about us before! How do we trust you, and why are you telling us now?"

Setsuna closes her eyes, and sighs. After a moment she begins. "Michiru, because we are gods, we can not lie, and we can do nothing but care. It is in our very being to care. Kami-sama, our Father, gave mortals free will. He did not give it to us immortals, be us gods, or senshi." She opens her eyes to the shocked face of her roommates, and continues. "It is the price of our immortality, and our power. Oh, we have a lot of freedom of choice in our day to day lives. But we will always put the good of everyone else before ourselves, and when Kami-sama, our Father, tells us to do something, we do it. If we decide we want to go against our nature, well, my Aunt Hild is the Queen of Demons, and she is always looking for new recruits."

Haruka is incensed by this. Turning red, she jumps to her feet, all but yelling. "I have free will, I am not a puppet of anyone, not even Kami-sama!"

"Try it." Setsuna says closing her eyes again, and continues. "Try to turn your back on anyone that needs your help. Once you find out that I am telling the truth, if you decide you want free will, tell me. It is within my power to take away your immortality, and powers, to bestow them upon another. Better that, than for you to become a demon." Her eyes snap open. "Better yet!" Before anyone can blink, Setsuna jumps over the table, wrapping an arm around Haruka's waist, spins on her heel, waving her other hand opening a portal, that both woman vanish into.

Michiru looks at Ranma who is still just calmly drinking his tea. He looks up, smiles at her, and says. "I am so glad Sets-chan got over her anger issues. She used to beat people, including me senseless. Now she works at always being calm, and discussing issues."

Michiru blinks, her panic momentarily disarmed by Ranma's comment, asks. "But your the god of martial arts. How could she beat you?"

Ranma's smile grows, and he answers. "Because I love her. I could never raise a hand to her, not even in self defense. It took a long time for me to get over that enough to teach her martial arts."

Michiru after another long minute, begins to worry about her partner asks. "Do you know where they went, and if they will be gone long?"

Ranma comes around the table, changing to Ranma-chan, she pours Michiru another cup of tea, and sits next to the distraught woman. The change is not lost on Michiru. Ranma is a man, the husband of Setsuna, but she is also a woman, and a mother. Noticing Michiru relax a little more, Ranma-chan answers. "As Sets-chan said, we care. She cares way too much to allow you, or Haruka to be hurt. She has taken Haruka on a little trip, maybe a tour, maybe an adventure, or two. No matter what, she won't return until she knows that she has done all she can for her. They may be gone minutes, or years."

Michiru's eyes get large, her mouth falls open as she utters a single word. "Years?"

Ranma-chan puts a hand gently on the other woman's hand. "Their time Michiru. But in our time, they should be back any minute now."

As if on cue, there is a distortion in the air, and the two missing woman step through, laughing. When they had left, Haruka had a short man style hair cut, and was wearing a man's suit, complete with men style house slippers. Now her hair is long, tied in a ponytail, and she is wearing rust colored leather pants, and vest over a t-shirt, with calf high boots on her feet. Setsuna is similarly clad, but her leathers are brown.

Ranma-chan looks at the two woman, and then turns back to Michiru, and says. "I was right, they were gone years. From the looks, they have had a few adventures, that I am sure they will be sharing with us for a long time."

Haruka walks over to Michiru, pulling her lover to her feet, she wraps her arms around her, and kisses her deeply. After several minutes, she breaks the kiss, but doesn't loosen her grip. Looking her in the eyes, she smiles. "I have missed you so very much my Mich-chan. Kami how I have missed you. Now I understand how Ranma, and Setsuna feel when they have to go on assignments away from each other. That's what we have been doing. Working on assignments given by Kami-sama for over five years. Our last stops were Father's office, and then the time gates where she let me see a replay of the last hour here, so that I would remember what we were talking about, before I went on my five year journey. Michiru my love, she didn't lie to us. The gods, and we senshi don't have free will, and I don't care, I am happy with who, and what I am."

Michiru reaches a trembling hand up, touching the corner of the taller woman's lips. She can feel the difference in the taller woman's whole being. She seems so alive now. It radiates from her, love, life, happiness. The anger that has haunted her for years is gone. She can't help but smile back at her partner. Finally she has to ask. "Who are you, and what have you done with Haruka?"

Haruka laughs as she sits down, pulling Michiru onto her lap. Kissing her partner one more time, she then answers. "Oh, I am Haruka. The same one that left here a few minutes ago your time. I just grew up, when I found out that I am not the center of the universe. A trip to Asgard, many other worlds, and of course Hell will do that to you. You know Setsuna is one of the few gods that can pop in and out of places she is not supposed to be, like Hell. It really upset her Aunt Hild when we appeared in her office in Niflheim, though Father was laughing like crazy when we got back to Asgard. Worse then going to Hell. I have seen hell in the lives of mortals all over the universe. We the senshi, and the gods can never turn our backs on them. Just as Setsuna couldn't turn her back on me. She saw the pain in me, and even though she has been away from Ranma for the past four years, she gave up another year, before she picked up Ranma to join us on our journeys to heal me."

Michiru feels overwhelmed, only the joy radiating from her partner keeping her from hysterics. "You've been to Hell, other worlds, and Asgard, the home of the gods?" Haruka still smiling nods her head. Michiru then continues. "You say Father. Do you mean Kami-sama?" Haruka nods again, her smile growing. Michiru deep blue eyes prove they could get even larger. "You talked with Kami-sama?"

Haruka her eyes sparkling, hugs Michiru tight to herself for a moment, then says. "Kami I have missed you. Relax love, your eyes are so wide now, if Father didn't already know their color, he could see them all way in Asgard. Yes, I have seen, and talked with Kami-sama, though he prefers for us to just call him Father. Before I met him for the first time, Setsuna told me to quit worrying. That he was just like the greatest parent, and best friend rolled in one, and that is exactly what he is like. I have been to his office many times over the past five years, and we just left his office before coming here. You know what he did this time. He sat me on his lap, like you are sitting on mine. He called me daughter, told me that he loved me. Then he brushed my hair out, and retied it in a ponytail. He said I needed to look good for you Michiru. Then he did something that he never does. He explained his actions. He explained as one of Ho-chan's parents to another, why our daughter had to be raised the way she was. He said that because of the power she carries, a power of destruction greater than most gods, and because of what she suffered from Mistress Nine, her birth father, and others, that our daughter needed a lot of healing. It wasn't Ranma, and Setsuna that was needed for her healing. It was their daughters, Yuko, and Chiyoko. More than loving parents which Ranma, and Setsuna have been, Ho-chan needed something she has always been denied, friends, and sisters. Yuko, and Chiyoko, are her sisters in every way but blood. The three of them will be sisters, and friends for their whole immortal lives. While the four of us, and Father are only her parents."

"I guess we can't compete with that." Michiru says with a mock sniff. Then faces Setsuna, and ask."But why couldn't you tell us when you first found out who she was, and why are you telling us now?" After the words are out of her mouth, she realizes that Setsuna is in no condition to reply. Her face turns red, as she waits for her roommates to quit kissing, and thinks. _'Well, I will never think Setsuna is judging Haruka's and my relationship again.'_

Setsuna, who was busy kissing, and being kissed by Ranma-chan, mumbles something about interruptions while still being kissed. As she and Ranma-chan giggle, they break apart, to turn to their roommates. Setsuna sits with her eyes closed for a minute, then when she opens them, she takes a deep breath, serious again, she explains. "I couldn't tell you before, because I was protecting the timeline, and that danger passed today. I am telling you now, because Ho-chan has been waiting for this day, so that she could return to Asgard to finish her training, get her domain, and license. All her other training has been done in the past. But now she is caught up with her present, so her domain training, and getting her licenses, must be done in the present. To do this, she needs to go to Asgard for about six months. Which she would have already done with her sisters, but she needed to be here for the Senshi, and to protect the timeline. Also she loves you two, so she won't leave without your blessings." Setsuna then giggles. "But don't worry about loosing our baby. The aging of immortal children after reaching the physical mortal equivalent age of 13, slows way down until it stops altogether at the mortal equivalent of 25. The four of us have about 700 years to enjoy her teenage years, along with the twins."

Haruka rolls her eyes. "Oh my, 700 more years of teenage emotions! I wonder if Father has some more missions he can send me out on."

Michiru surprises herself, she smacks her lover in the back of her head, then putting on a pout, whines. "Not without me Haruka. You are not going to go running around the universe with Ranma, and Setsuna again, leaving me at home like some housewife. Especially to deal with our daughter's teenage emotions by myself. And how was Ranma with you, when she has been here with me the whole time?"

Ranma-chan smiles at Setsuna, then explains. "Knowing Sets-chan, she probably picks me up later tonight from our bed, and then drops me back before the Sets-chan of now wakes. And you couldn't go with us this time, since the whole trip was for Haruka's benefit. She needed to be away from you to be able to grow." Setsuna nods, earning her a kiss. Then Ranma starts laughing, finally she composes herself, and explains what was so funny. "Sorry about that...Thinking of personal growth, and teenagers. You and the rest of the Senshi need to get used to long childhoods. While your not gods.._'yet'_, you are immortals, and any kids you have will age at the same slow rate as ours. This goes for Usagi, and the other Senshi personal growth. You two missed being teenagers for centuries, because you were both young adults when you became Senshi. The other Senshi are going to be teenagers for a very, very long time."

Haruka, and Michiru both facefault onto the table. Then with her face still planted against the table, Michiru sighs, and says. "I guess Ho-chan has to go, but I don't want her to be away from me for 6 months, even if I am going to have her as a teenager for 700 more years."

"Well then, can you two get 6 month vacations, or leaves of absences?" Setsuna asks, and then to the questioning looks answers. "Since you are both immortals, and as Haruka already knows, you are allowed to come to Asgard with us."

Michiru, and Haruka look at each other, and then nod, while grins spread across their faces. Haruka voices their thoughts. "We both can get leaves for longer than that if needed, or we will quit our jobs for our daughter. But I, we would still like to know how come you are only telling us about our daughter, and you now. What was the danger to the timeline?"

Setsuna calls their daughters back into the kitchen, then says."I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. Today was the nexus of several events, all starting with a wish that the gods gave to a nineteen year old mortal girl, one Tendo Akane. She thought when she made that wish, that it only involved herself. She had no way of knowing how many lives that one wish touched." Setsuna pours herself some more tea, then continues. "Let me tell you her story. It is the story I used to tell Ranma's baby sister Kasumi, when I tucked her into bed at night. It is my story."

Kasumi's Bedtime Story

Shannon Dee 11-07-2009

Author's Notes

11-07-2009

I wrote the dream sequence first, just a funny thought that passed through my head, while sitting in my car waiting for my family. Then I thought, what if Akane did get a wish for real. I pretty much wrote the whole story while waiting for my family, and then spent an evening correcting my grammar, and spelling. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did telling it.

11-09-2009

A slight rewrite. Reading the story, I didn't like the sentence structure in a few places, so I corrected that. Also I have some ideas for some side stories, and other future stories spawned from this story. So I needed to add a little to Setsuna's dealings with Haruka, and Michiru.

11-10-2009

Another slight rewrite. Fixed a few more typos, and expanded some parts to make sure the side stories that will come later fit.

11-13-2009

Broke the story back into the chapters as I originally wrote it, so that I can made additions to the middle of the story.


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